Primary / Secondary School, School / University Charleston, SC – Arson fire at charter school suppressed by sprinkler system June 3, 2017 viking210 Authorities are investigating after someone intentionally started a fire at a Charleston school. The fire happened just before 10 a.m. at the Charleston Charter School of Math and Science on King Street. When firefighters arrived they found the school evacuation under way and were told of a fire in a bathroom on the second floor. “Crews entered to find a single fire sprinkler head that was activated and contained the fire to the bathroom area,” CFD officials said.”Firefighters completed extinguishment and proceeded to control the water flow to the sprinkler system and evacuate smoke from the building.” A report states members of the Fire Marshal Division responded to investigate the incident and determined the fire was intentionally set in the bathroom. Fire investigators along with the Charleston Police Department and the school administration are reviewing the incident. “Once the smoke was removed from the building the majority of the school reoccupied, one area of the school remained closed as staff worked to clean smoke and water damage,” CFD officials said. No injuries were reported. The Charleston Fire Department, North Charleston and Saint Andrews fire departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department responded to the scene.
Residential, Townhouse / Condominium Myrtle Beach, SC – Townhouse fire put out by residential sprinkler system; Neighboring homes spared February 26, 2017 viking210 Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue credits a home’s sprinkler system for saving the house and the family. Lt. Jonathan Evans says a cooking fire was put out at a home in Market Common before firefighters could even arrive. “First off, the sprinkler system is already in your home, so it goes off, it’s going to be a lot easier for it to put out the fire than us. Sometimes it takes us a little bit longer to get to you, get the hoses off and all that stuff. Plus, the amount of water it puts out – it puts out about 20 gallons per minute compared to the 250 or 300 gallons per minute that we put out, so on top of the fire damage you already have, by the time we get there, that water damage is going to be that much more because we want to make sure that fire is out,” Evans said. Evans says if you can’t afford to have a sprinkler system installed in your home, having a fire extinguisher or installing the Stovetop Firestop can help prevent extensive damage from small fires.
Other - Residential, Residential Charleston, SC – Early morning fire at short-term rental property contained by sprinkler system February 22, 2017 viking210 Firefighters with the City of Charleston Fire Department responded to a fire in downtown Charleston this morning just after 3:30 a.m., according to Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. The alarm company reported an automatic fire alarm at a residential short-term rental property on Spring Street. Emergency responders from the Charleston Fire Department were dispatched to the alarm and arrived in less than three minutes, according to Julazadeh. Additional information was provided by a 911 caller advising that a fire had occurred in the kitchen and the incident was upgraded to a structure fire, sending additional resources from Charleston, North Charleston, and Saint Andrews Fire Departments, Charleston County EMS, and the Charleston Police Department, he said. Emergency responders arrived to a four story building, that included retail sales on the first floor and a three story rental unit above, as the tenants were self-evacuating. Responders searched the property, verified the fire was contained by the fire sprinkler system, controlled the water flow from the sprinkler, and ventilated the building. Investigators from the Fire Marshal Division Fire Investigation Team responded to the scene to review the incident. The home was occupied at the time of the emergency and the residents woke to the sound of the activated fire alarm, he said. Occupants discovered the fire in the kitchen area and noted an activated fire sprinkler, called 911, and utilized a fire extinguisher to further suppress the fire. The occupants then proceeded out of the building as the fire department arrived on scene. Investigators determined the fire originated within the kitchen trashcan and was likely caused by discarded cooking items. “A number of critical fire safety elements were instrumental in providing for the safety of the occupants and minimizing the damage to the building,” said Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh. “First, fire inspections were previously completed as part of the approval process of the rental in order to verify code compliance and maintenance of the fire protection systems. Second, the fire alarm system detected the incident, alerted the occupants, and provided automatic notification to 911. Third, the fire sprinkler system contained the fire and prevented a significant loss to the property or the adjoining properties that are in close proximity. All of these components created a life safety system that prevented injury and minimized the potential loss.”
Office Building, Other Business North Charleston, SC – Overnight fire at office park held in check by sprinkler system November 24, 2016 viking210 Emergency crews have extinguished a fire at a business in Park Circle Tuesday night. Crews with the North Charleston Fire Department responded to the fire at the ALSCO building on 4921 Chateau Ave. NCFD officials reported at 10:47 p.m. that the fire was under control. Authorities said the fire was kept in check by the sprinkler system until crews made entry to extinguish the fire fully. There were no reported injuries. Residents in the area reported multiple fire trucks responding to the incident. A motorist said authorities had shut down a portion of the road as crews worked the fire.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Wellford, SC – Fire at chemical plant suppressed by sprinkler system; No injuries November 5, 2016 viking210 Firefighters said Hazmat was initially called in after a fire broke out at a chemical plant in Spartanburg County Tuesday morning. The fire broke out in a loading room at StarChem on Greenville Highway in Wellford, according to Startex Fire Chief Barry Ward. The fire happened when a truck opened an equipment door and fumes from an open valve ignited. The building was evacuated and the facility’s sprinkler system put out the fire. Hazmat crews were called in to make sure no dangerous chemicals were involved and the water from the sprinkler system had not been contaminated. Ward said Hazmat crews quickly determines there fire was not caused by a hazardous chemical. No one was hurt in the fire. Click here to read more about the StarChem plant’s manufacturing capabilities.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Spartanburg, SC – Sprinkler system activates after explosion at Sleep Inn motel July 12, 2016 viking210 Several fire department were called to a motel Saturday night after reports of an explosion that came from one of the rooms,the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said. County dispatchers said crews were called out to the Sleep Inn on South Blackstock Road in Spartanburg County just after 6 p.m. Deputies said the motel was evacuated and the house sprinkler system was activated. The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time, and deputies said there is no indication it was a result of a meth lab, officials said. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation.
Residence Hall/Dormitory, Residential Rock Hill, SC – Dorm room fire held in check by sprinkler system at Winthrop University June 17, 2016 viking210 Firefighters extinguished a small fire in a dorm room on the Winthrop University campus that forced the evacuation of 300 students Thursday morning, an official said. The fire was called in around 7 a.m. in Richardson Hall, Deputy Chief Mark Simmons of the Rock Hill Fire Department said. The building’s sprinkler held the fire, which was isolated to one dorm room, in check until firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported. Simmons said about 300 students were staying in the dorm for orientation and were evacuated. There was minor fire damage to the one dorm room, and water damage caused by the sprinkler system, Simmons said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Hotel / Motel, Hotel / Restaurant Myrtle Beach, SC – Cooking fire at extended stay hotel extinguished by sprinkler system March 4, 2016 viking210 A small fire sparked by french fries cooking on a stove in a first-floor hotel room at the Suburban Extended Stay Hotel in Myrtle Beach led to smoke inhalation and an evacuation Monday afternoon. The Myrtle Beach Fire Department was dispatched to the hotel at 730 Frontage Road E. at 1:18 p.m. for a fire alarm. “The first unit on scene found smoke in room 145 and then they requested structure (fire) response,” said Battalion Chief Ian Maxwell with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department. A sprinkler system in the hotel extinguished the fire, he said. Several units were on scene Monday afternoon dealing with the water mitigation issues that remained after the emergency that evacuated residents and left one guest with minor smoke inhalation. The guest was treated on scene. No other injuries were reported.
Apartment Building, Residential, Residential High Rise Charleston, SC – Sprinkler system contains high rise apartment fire to 10th floor apartment February 17, 2016 viking210 An investigation by Charleston Fire officials revealed the fire that displaced about 152 Joseph Floyd Manor residents originated on a sofa in the living area of a 10th floor apartment. The specific cause of the fire is still unknown. Crews helped residents move to hotel rooms Monday night after the fire broke out. Three fire departments responded to the 10th floor of the Mount Pleasant Street apartment complex and found heavy smoke, said Ryan Kunitzer of the Charleston Fire Department. Kunitzer said a fire sprinkler contained the fire in a 10th floor apartment. Emergency personnel assisted residents off the floor. He said the city Building Official determined the structure was uninhabitable until a full assessment could be completed. The Red Cross, the City Housing Authority and CARTA assisted emergency crews with moving the residents to local hotels after water used to control the fire affected multiple floors, Kunitzer said. Charleston, North Charleston and St. Andrews fire departments responded to the fire, in addition to the Charleston Police Department and Charleston County EMS. Fire officials said that 93 of the estimated 152 Joseph Floyd residents were relocated to a nearby hotel. The other 58 residents went to stay with family or friends. Officials also confirmed that one resident was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. The American Red Cross and Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority officials opened a shelter for the residents. The shelter, located at Grace on the Ashley Baptist Church, opened Tuesday afternoon. There, residents can get a safe place to stay, meals, and other services.
Nursing Home/Senior Living, Residential Easley, SC – Laundry fire at senior living facility contained with help from sprinkler system February 10, 2016 viking210 Residents of the Brookdale Senior Living facility were evacuated on Monday after a fire broke out in the facility’s laundry room. According to Assistant Fire Chief J. Scott McClain of the Easley Fire Department, the facility, located at 125 Zion School Road, just off Route 8, caught fire just before 3 p.m. Feb. 1, setting off the building’s alarm and sprinkler systems. Members of the Brookdale staff, Pickens County Emergency operations Center and Rescue 8 assisted with getting the residents to safety. Pickens County Emergency Medical Services also responded to the scene as a precautionary measure but no injuries were reported. McClain stated that while the fire itself was contained to the laundry room, smoke and water damage affected other areas of the building. “The fire was extinguished in a short period of time, with additional time spent performing salvage and overhaul operations,” McClain said. EFD also stated that Easley Combined Utilities responded to assist with water issues along with the City of Easley Building Official’s Office to check the building for damages. DHEC was notified of the incident. Two pumper trucks, a platform truck and several support units responded to the fire which was extinguished “in a short period of time.”
